THE GRANTURISIMO LEAVES FERRARI AND PORSCHE IN THE DUST
Think of Maserati’s new GranTurisimo as an affordable exoticar …
If your name’s not Jay Leno, dropping six figures plus on an Italian sports car can take a toll on one’s Black American Express.
Why drop more than a quarter of a million bucks, for example, on a four-seater Ferrari when a smoother-driving, similarly rarified Maserati sells for a mere $110,000?
“We’re very proud of that,” says Jeffrey Ehoodin of Maserati North America. “But we’re not in the volume game. We expect to do about 1,600 GranTurisimos and a hundred or so of the GranTurismo S.”
The GranTurisimo’s 450-horsepower Ferrari-designed V8 engine can propel the vessel to up to 177 mph with the standard six-speed automatic transmission. Pricing has not been set for the even more “superlative,” manual-shift-only S model.
Now the bad news: Maserati of St. Louis is the closest dealer, but you may have to do some shopping.
“Since last November, we’re completely sold out for the year,” Ehoodin says.
Hey, but forget about price and availability for a second. There are other reasons to buy a Maserati instead of a finicky Ferrari.
“We don’t just put an emphasis on horsepower, we emphasize making a car that’s very easy to drive,” Ehoodin says. “It’s not a car for everyone, but for someone who wants a car with a very special pedigree, with technology from the racetrack that comes very directly. They’re not watered down. It’s a genuine performance car.”
Get one like I almost ordered in Giallo (fly yellow) with Rosso Corallo (red leather) seats and Rosewood trim. Or go your own way.
“There are 19 colors total in the range,” Ehoodin says. “Or we can match different colors that people like — there’s a time and cost issue — but we’re very flexible.”
The bottom line: For essentially the same money you might spend on a Porsche 911 GT3, you can pilot a far more exclusive Italian sports car with a trident logo inspired by a statue of Neptune in Bologna, Italy.
“It’s a wonderful old brand that has a ton of history,” Ehoodin says.
“You could take any of the pieces out of the interior and hold them in your hand and they will be beautiful,” said Guglielmo Cartia, chief designer of the GranTurismo. “But they won’t just be beautiful today because the detail is added to a design rooted in volume and shape."
By HEARNE CHRISTOPHER Jr.
The Kansas City Star